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The Warking's Vault
🕑 Added 2016-09-27 13:55:13 +0000 UTC In the Barrier Peaks is a small pass no longer accessible from either side – at some point the ends of the pass were lifted up above the local landscape by a hundred feet or more, leaving sheer cliffs and difficult climbs. What has been forgotten is that this was done by the dwarves in their time of grief for their fallen warking.The eastern end of the pass is decorated by pale stone statues of human warriors on each side, leading to a massive stone statue of a dwarf where the pass turns. These are the honour guard of the warking – caryatid columns and a mighty (if short) stone golem left to defend his resting place.
The vault itself has remained sealed since her interment. The main door sealed from within by the craftsmen who then climbed out using a ladder into a narrow chimney in the smallest raised chamber that overlooks the pass, the top of which is also sealed (although not nearly as securely as the front door).
The vault itself is fairly small. The entrance hall is decorated with scenes of the dwarven earthships breaching into this world and laying siege to burning elven cities. The stairs from this hall lead to the overlook chamber (decorated with representations of the constellations of the dwarven home world) and the preparatory chambers for the warking’s interment.
The next hall is decorated in abstract geometric patterns pleasing to dwarven eyes, and niches disguised into the walls are the homes to skulls of dwarves who fell in the same battle that ended the warking’s life – and their shadows should the warking be disturbed.
The final chamber contains the crypt of the warking and her two husbands, who of course will rise as undead most foul if disturbed or robbed.
I used the Warking's Vault as a minor side event & red herring in a recent 5e game when the party got distracted on their way to find the "Iron Temple" in the Barrier Peaks. You can download the map to mess with your adventurers from the blog post at http://wp.me/psUVp-2mk
